1st PRO royalty and how many tracks written prior?

[SabalSounds]

Hi all – if you don’t mind sharing…what was the amount of your 1st PRO royalty and about how many tracks did you submit before you started seeing PRO payout? I’m more curious about the latter part of that question 🙂

I’m hearing from others it can take 1-2 years once you start submitting tracks to libraries because of all the time it takes once a cue is submitted, placed, airs, and if/when the PRO’s recognize the royalty and then how long before distribution.

Thanks!

Sabal

[Mike Marino]

3 non-exclusive tracks in (inside of 3 months) and I got a $750 placement check from Music Dealers for a Youtube Target ad.

For royalties it took somewhere in the 12-15 month range (75-90 tracks; mostly exclusive) before I got my first royalty check from BMI…..which was in the $15 dollar range. Ouch….though I’ve only been at this for around two years.

A year later there was a couple more zeroes attached to the end of that. It does get better…..but it just takes time. It’s an awful business model….but it does work.

Humbling…..but I hope that helps.

[daveydad]

My first BMI statement for 3rd quarter of 2013 was a humbling $14; all online radio royalties. Last year I averaged $300-$400 per quarter. Still not where I want to be but at least it’s going up slowly.

[UpFromTheSkies]

I think my first Ascap statement was in the neighborhood of $2. Several exclusive cues written by that point.

[SabalSounds]

Thanks for the replies! @daveydad and @Golds didd you written in the 75-90 cue range like Mike Marino mentioned before you earned your first royalty?

[daveydad]

Yes, when I started, I probably had 100-200 tracks circulating among libraries.

[MichaelL]

Ha! I honestly don’t remember. It had to be over $25, maybe $100 because back in the late 70’s / early 80’s there was no direct deposit and that was the threshold before ASCAP would send you a check. The would have been for my first “side” on a library “album” — 10 tracks.

[UpFromTheSkies]

I had less than 10 cues published at that point

[SabalSounds]

Thanks again for the replies!

Sabal

[composer]

Roughly 1-2 years and 100-200 tracks before PRO payments started. Then another 5-6 quarters before quarterly payments passed $1K. That was roughly 4 years ago and payments have grown steadily. Of course, I’m continuing to produce music.

It’s a long term enterprise for sure.

[Kubed]

1st BMI check was for 3Q’ 2013 and it was for $309 (i don’t think i’ll ever forget my very first check from music income,haha).
All of the placements were from the same library,same show.10 exclusive tracks.
I inked my first ever contract Jan ’13,got the first tv placements in August of the same year and the first check in March ’14.
So,it took me a bit over a year before i saw any back end royalties.
During 2013 (my 1st year in music library biz) i signed around 100 tracks,most of them with NE libraries.

It is a bumpy road,2nd check was 13 times better (i just couldn’t believe it) and the next one half of it.The 4th one was less than the 1st one…yeah,a real roller coaster!
After that,the statements were more consistent and the numbers went up again 🙂

[SabalSounds]

Thanks @composer and @Kubed!

[Author]

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